The Old Wooden Towns - Self-drive tour along the Finnish west coast

1. Self-drive tour along the Finnish west coast to the old wooden towns with an atmosphere of the long-forgotten past2. Step into a fairy tale and experience colourful wooden houses, decorative gates, cobblestone streets and beautiful public buildings3. Taste some Finnish food in lovely restaurants and cafés and visit unique shops and museums5. Experience amazing nature, beautiful islands and one of the most beautiful beaches in Finland, Yyteri, the Finnish Riviera4. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites Old Rauma and Bronze Age Burial Site Sammallahdenmäki in Rauma

Self-drive tour along the Finnish west coast to the old wooden towns Turku, Naantali, Uusikaupunki, Rauma and Pori. Walking around old towns is like stepping into a fairy tale: the colourful wooden houses, decorative gates, cobblestone streets and beautiful public buildings create an atmosphere of the long-forgotten past. In old Finnish coastal towns you find many lovely restaurants, cafés, shops and museums. Most of the buildings in these conservation areas date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, and strict regulations ensure that the area will retain their history. Discover the old coastal towns with a lot of history, explore the most beautiful sights of the region and design your self-drive tour according to your interests and wishes!

Schedule of the tour, destination information and suggested activities:

After your arrival in Helsinki or Turku you will pick up the rental car from the airport and you can start with your tour in or to Turku.

Turku

It all began on the Aura river. Do you know how to recognise a European city dating from the Middle Ages? A riverfront, market square, castle and cathedral, just to name a few. Sounds familiar – in fact, it sounds just like Turku. Turku is not only the one city in Finland that meets the above description, it is also a destination filled with events and things to do, not to mention the European Capital of Culture for 2011. You are most welcome to come and enjoy yourself in the cradle of history and culture!

Interesting sights:Luostarinmäki is a whole museum village dating from the 1700s and 1800s:In 1827 the Great Fire of Turku caused enormous destruction, but Luostarinmäki was spared. Today, it provides the unique setting as a window in time to see the craftsmen of the pre-industrial era. At the museum, it is possible to time-travel to the 1800s and observe the life of common people. During summer the craftsmen busy themselves in the museum. This culminates in August with the Handicraft Days festivities, where artisans showcase the crafts of a bygone era. At the Museum Shop Hantvärki you can buy handicraft products, publications, greeting cards, cone-packet sweets and rooster whistles. Café Kisälli, located in a nearby house from 1851, serves the museum. See more information.

Port Arthur area:Originally a residential area for sailors and port workers, Port Arthur, or as locals call it, Portsa, is a great place for an enjoyable stroll. This intact wooden house district was built during the first decade of the 20th century. While the area was being built, Finland was part of the Russian Empire which had just lost the East Asian port city of Port Arthur to Japan. A building worker in Turku was heard to have said that he was building “the new Port Arthur”. The name stuck. Today Portsa has around a thousand homes. It was voted the Borough of the Year in 2001 by the Finnish Local Heritage Federation. In 2009 the National Board of Antiquities included the wooden house districts of Port Arthur and Michael’s Church as two of Finland’s most important Built Heritage sites. What is it about Port Arthur that makes it so unique and such a popular place to live? Book a walking tour and find out! See more.

Qwensel House and Pharmacy Museum:Qwensel House is the oldest surviving bourgeois home in Turku, dating back to the early 1700’s. The Rococo and Gustavian style rooms present the contemporary decór of gentry life. The shop wing of the building is a 19th Century pharmacy including a material and herb room, two laboratories as well as an office, which is Finland’s oldest pharmacy interior. See more information. The courtyard’s quaint Café Qwensel is open during the museum’s opening times.

Eat&Drink:Spend a day in Turku experiencing new delightful tastes and enjoying the summertime riverside. The Turku Food Walk card will lead you straight to the heart of Turku’s restaurant culture. The route along the banks of the River Aura takes you to authentically local restaurants that offer the most delicious tastes in Turku. Choose your favourite five from the ten restaurants and start your tasting tour. See more information.www.visitturku.fi/en/museum-ett-hem_en

Naantali

In the 1438 the religious leaders of the nation decided that a convent was to be built in Finland and it would follow the rules composed by St. Bridget of Sweden. The new convent was given a letter of protection in 1440 and in that document it was stated that the convent name would be Vallis Gratie – The Valley of Mercy i.e. Nadhendaal in medieval Swedish. The town of Naantali was born. In that time Naantali inhabitants who lived near the convent started to rent their homes for pilgrims. Even nowadays you can see the lofts and small houses in the garden, where the inhabitants moved while the pilgrims lived in their houses.

Interesting sights:Naantali Old Town:The atmospheric Old Town with its alleyways and stories is the heart and soul of Naantali. Every old house has a name of its own. Explore the Old Town’s buildings, narrow streets and unique charm. Little boutiques and ateliers.

Kirkkopuisto Park:Naantali´s Kirkkopuisto Park has been a place of recuperation for tourists and spa guests since the early 19th century. It continues to be an important part of Naantali’s appealand charm due to its beauty and well-maintained appearance.

Convent Church: The Naantali Church was built between 1460 and 1480, as the church for the Catholic Brigittine convent. Now, this only remaining part of the convent is the largest medieval building in Finland, excluding the Turku Cathedral. The Church’s special characteristics include the portraits of Christ painted in connection to the consecration crosses.

Kultaranta Garden:The Kultaranta Garden, majestic granite manor house on the shore of Naantalinlahti is mostly likely the most recognised summer residence in Finland. Since it is where our president spends the summer, Naantali is considered to be Finland’s holiday capital. Tourists can visit the Kultaranta garden, designed by Lars Sonck for merchant Alfred Kordelin. The garden was completed in 1916 and surrounds the granite manor.

Naantali Museum:The Naantali Museum’s Hiilola property, situated in the Old Town, is home to 19th century interiors, reflecting the lifestyle of the bourgeoisie a small town. The Sau-Kallio house, at the back of the delightful garden, provides the visitors a glimpse of how craftsmen lived. On the Humppi property, you can find out about Naantali’s convent past and the historic narrative of the town through archaeological findings.

After enjoying Naantali you will continue your tour towards Uusikaupunki. If you continue direct from Naantali to Uusikaupunki, you will take the road numbers 192, 194 (named y-road) and 196 (68 km, 55 minutes).

Uusikaupunki

400 year old Uusikaupunki is an idyllic small town, situated on the coast of Bothnian Sea. Town is famous for its well preserved wooden houses. Kau­punginlahti bays reaches right to the center of the town and the long coastline offers a lot of room for recreation as well as for housing.During 27.6.-12.8. sea cruises are organized on five days of the week. Destinations include the Isokari lighthouse island and the Katanpää fort island. The guest harbour Pakkahuone has been nominated the best in Finland three times. The idyllic restaurants with local delicacies, wide range of attractions, the Crusell-week music festival (28.7.-4.8.2018) offer to the tourists a lot to see, hear, taste and enjoy. Uusikaupunki is certainly worth a visit.

After Uusikaupunki your tour will continue to Rauma via Pyhämaa along beautiful sea shore road called Velhovesi ring road along Hiuntie, Lepäistentie, Korsaarentie, Lyökintie, Pyhämaantie (45 minutes, 37 km).A piece of Finland’s most picturesque archipelago is within your reach, without a boat or worrying about ferry timetables. Whizz round the whole 50 kilometer route non-stop or take your time, enjoy the islands scenery and make a day of it. The Velhovesi Ring Road was born when two bays of the sea, Ruotsinvesi and Velhovesi, were dammed to provide water for the town. The two bays formed a large body of freshwater, separated from the sea in places by only a narrow isthmus. This route takes you from one island to the next, with no shortage of swimming places! You can decide whether you want to take a dip in freshwater, seawater or both!Pyhämaa Old Church (“Uhrikirkko”), Kirkontaustantie 15, Pyhämaa, is located in the Pyhämaa village. Unique wooden church from the early 17th cen­tury. The ceiling and interior walls are completely covered in frescoes. Pyhämaa New Church is located next to the Old Church, grey granite church dating from 1804. Both churches are open from June 4 to August 5 Mon-Sat 11am-5pm and Sun 12pm-4pm.

From Pyhämaa to Rauma: Pyhämaantie, road number 196 and E8 (55 minutes and 49 km).

RaumaA city with two UNESCO world heritage sites

Fall in love with Rauma – one of the oldest towns in Finland, famous for its Old Town, maritime history and long lacemaking traditions. Rauma is a town of culture with a rich history, fascinating museums and a diverse range of events. The town was established in 1442. It has long traditions as a significant centre of industry and trade, where history meets the present, creating a vibrant town with a unique atmosphere.

Interesting sights:Old Rauma (UNESCO World Heritage Site):Old Rauma was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1991. Old Rauma is a unique example of an old Nordic wooden town. In Old Rauma, people live, work and enjoy their free time in a historical environment. Located in the centre of the city, the Market Square is surrounded by more than 100 shops and boutiques as well as atelier and atmospheric cafés and restaurants. Distances are short in Old Rauma: shops, sights and attractions are located within walking distances. Narrow and meandering streets and lanes are characteristic of Old Rauma, following medieval routes. The district is also known for its impressive gates, wooden fences and asymmetric plots.

Bronze Age Burial Site Sammallahdenmäki (UNESCO World Heritage Site):The other World Heritage Site located in Rauma is the Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki, in the middle of the Finnish forest. This site of ancient relics was the first archaeological area in Finland to be added on UNESCO’s list. The strong presence of the clean and silent forest adds to the cairns’ mysterious story in Sammallahdenmäki.

Kylmäpihlaja Lighthouse Island:Kylmäpihlaja Lighthouse Island is a ruggedly beautiful island of rocks that offers experiences by the open sea. You can stay overnight in the lighthouse tower at hotel rooms, look out to the surf of the sea and enjoy the delicacies of the archipelago. The archipelago located in front of Rauma is the heart of the beautiful Bothnian Sea National Park. The lighthouse island is easily accessible in the summer, thanks to the daily water bus connection. You can do excursions or stay overnight at this interesting destination. More information.

From Rauma to Pori and Reposaari you continue on the road 8 (45 min, 52 km).

Pori

The city of Pori is over 450 years old and the history is continuously present e.g. in architecture and museums. The city has a modern beat with numerous small and big events throughout the city. Located at the mouth of the Kokemäenjoki River, Pori is an interesting combination of old and new. Pori –Reposaari (30 min, 30 km). The 30 minute drive from the city of Pori takes you pass famous Yyteri sandy beach and through lovely sceneries with fishing boats and windmills right at the very end of the peninsula of Reposaari.

Interesting sights:Island of Reposaari (Pori): The Reposaari suburb of Pori, on the shore of the Gulf of Bothnia is a unique place to visit, an inviting wooden district. The village of Reposaari is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Pori. The buildings are mainly old wooden houses from late -19th or early -20th century. One of the oldest is a hotel built in 1838, it works today as a restaurant. Reposaari is a unique wooden house district at the seaside and a former port community and a fishing village. The area is known, among other things, for its interesting ballast plant occurrences.

Ballast plants: Reposaari is known of its extra ordinary flora. Exotic plants invaded the island during the sail ship era as the ships unloaded the sand used as a sailing ballast. More than 70 exotic species can be found today at Reposaari.

Church of Reposaari: Reposaari Church is a wooden hexagonal church built in 1876. The bell tower is octagonal. It is often said representing a ‘’Norwegian style’’ architecture.

Enjoy fish dishes in Reposaari: While in Reposaari you must visit a fish food restaurant and enjoy traditional fish foods. Have a traditional white fish soup or raw spiced baltic herring rolls. Enjoy the maritime views while savoring a fabulous meal.

Arrive to Reposaari by boat: In the summer you can take a cruise boat from downtown of Pori to Reposaari. MS Charlotta offers a a scenic trip down the river Kokemäenjoki all the way to Reposaari by the sea. You can come to Reposaari with your own boat. Marina Merilokki is a weather shore Marina by the coast of Selkämeri.

Yyteri – the Finnish Riviera:Pori´s pearl, Yyteri is an unforgettable destination and one of Pori´s prides. Being one of the most beautiful beaches in Finland. Yyteri is an experience for adults and an adventure for children. Six kilometers of toe-sinking soft sand for sunbathing and water as far as the eye can see. The Yyteri nature trails are located in the area between the famous beach and the Bothnian Sea National Park. The trails are perfect spots to admire sand dunes, meadows and alluvia favoured by birds as well as canebrakes and wooded areas.

From Pori you drive back to Helsinki (road number 2). The car will be left at the airport. Or you can come back to Turku (road number 8) (depending on the flights).Additional nights can be booked via www.visitnaantali.com, tel +358 2 435 9800

We hold the right to make adjustments and ask you to kindly reconfirm the specific itinerary and pricing directly with the tour provider.

Getting there:You can reach Turku by www.airbaltic.com via Riga, via Helsinki www.finnair.com or via Stockholm www.flysas.com. If you want admire the beautiful archipelago and you come by your own car, take ferry from Stockholm www.silja.com or www.vikingline.com to Turku or from Kapellskär to Naantali www.finnlines.comHelsinki is easily accessible, no matter where you are travelling from, and is served by many international flights. If you want to travel with your own car, you can reach Helsinki via ferry from Tallinn, Stockholm, Travemünde and Rostock.